# Salt Test of Xikar hygrometer



## Rubix^3 (Nov 10, 2008)

This is the second salt test I have done on this Xikar hygrometer. After 12 hrs on the first try, the hygrometer read 70%, so I calibrated it to 75% and let it rest in the bag for another 12hrs. Surprisingly, it climbed to 85%! So I took out the battery and reset it before doing another salt test. This time I placed two analog hygrometers in for the sake of comparison. After 12hrs the Xikar is at 82% while the analogs are in deviation of about 2% each, one low, one high. Should I let the Xikar sit in the bag longer then try to re-calibrate it to 75%, or does it seem to be defective? I just got a new humi and I am anxious to install a hygrometer to check its seasoning progress. Thanks for your help.


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## montecristo#2 (May 29, 2006)

I take it the Xikar is adjustable?

My guess is that you over adjusted it. Maybe when you took it out of the bag, it was changing while you were adjusting. I don't have any adjustable hygrometers, so I do not know how they recommend you adjust these. 

I would probably record the difference from 75%, take it out of the bag, allow it to level off at the room RH then adjust it accordingly and try the salt test again.

I have also never been a fan of the salt test, I never know how much water to add.  :r


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## friz (Jul 24, 2008)

I have the same one. I did my salt test for about 36 hours and it has been at 68rh in my humi for the last 4 months


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## Gone Dave (Mar 30, 2008)

montecristo#2 said:


> I take it the Xikar is adjustable?
> 
> My guess is that you over adjusted it. Maybe when you took it out of the bag, it was changing while you were adjusting. I don't have any adjustable hygrometers, so I do not know how they recommend you adjust these.
> 
> ...


:tpd:There are a few variables, I always use a Boveda to check them, and let them set a day, for $3 you get a confirmed RH point, and you adjust the hygro, but make note of any +/- of reading actual from the manufacture paperwork, a +/- of just 1% is still 6-7 RH points..

F- it Just get beads and use the Hygro for "looks":mn:2


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## BigCat (Sep 9, 2008)

I say put it in a better container for testing. I usually use my 15 ct. herfidor when I salt test something. I know it seals air tight. I've had less success with plastic bags. If you don't have a herfidor, any heavy-duty tupperware that seals air tight should work. Just a thought anyway...


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## Rubix^3 (Nov 10, 2008)

Thanks for all your suggestions. I just returned home today however to find the Xikar at --, which means off the charts. This obviously is a false reading and so I will return it to the store today to exchange for another. Thanks again.


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## CBMC (Apr 1, 2008)

I also have a xikar hygrometer. I noticed mine would read accurate (tested in a boveda calibration bag) @ 70 degrees. I used another hygrometer in the bag that I know is accurate, they both would read 75 (after setting the xikar one to 75). As the temperature changed the xikar humidity would drop, at 65 degrees the xikar would read about 70 rh and at 60 degrees it would read about 67, the other hygrometer would stay around 75 rh the whole time. If the temperature raised above 70 the rh would increase also, at 75 degrees it would read about 77 rh, the other would stay almost perfectly stable at 75, I know. These were each left in the bag for several hours so I allowed plenty of time for the humidity to stablilize when performing these tests. I plan on ordering another and seeing if it does the same thing, if it does, both are going back, if not I will return the one that doesn't work. I would greatly appreciate if anyone else has similar problems with the xikar when the temperature changes.


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## bigmanfromou (Dec 5, 2008)

I had the same weirdness when I attempted to salt test it. I ended up just placing both analog and digital hygrometers in the humidor for now. I going off an average until I run to the B&M tomorrow and get a Boveda pack.


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## LastClick (Jan 2, 2005)

I'm not sure how true this is but, I read a few years ago that the salt test is only meant for analog hygrometers, not digital, because salt is corrosive to the electronic elements of a digital hygrometer and can ruin it.

I calibrate hygrometers by using a damp, not wet, washcloth to cover it and after a few hours it should read 100% if not adjust accordingly. :2


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## CBMC (Apr 1, 2008)

LastClick said:


> I'm not sure how true this is but, I read a few years ago that the salt test is only meant for analog hygrometers, not digital, because salt is corrosive to the electronic elements of a digital hygrometer and can ruin it.
> 
> I calibrate hygrometers by using a damp, not wet, washcloth to cover it and after a few hours it should read 100% if not adjust accordingly. :2


I have heard that to, over time salt can corrode electronics, If I was using a $300 hygrometer I might be a little apprehensive, but at $15 I am not too worried. Xikar does recommend the salt test for their hygrometer, so it can't be too corrosive.

I am wondering if I replace the battery if that could help, I seriously doubt it, but a button cell ag13 battery should cost next to nothing.

Anyone else experience similar temp/humidity fluctuations?


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## Wharf Rat (Sep 17, 2007)

montecristo#2 said:


> I have also never been a fan of the salt test, I never know how much water to add.  :r


You need to make the water "supersaturated" which means it cannot absorb any more salt no matter how hard you try. You could start with hot water to speed the process. Keep adding salt until it builds up in the container and won't dissolve.

The older gorillas will remember making rock candy - same principle.

Bob


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## kelvin b (Nov 14, 2010)

Actually a +/- of 1 percent (at 70% RH) is just .7% up or down.
I also use Boveda packs. Salt test is not very convincing (for me).
The beads have been good to me. No need to fuss with the hygros much.


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## dyieldin (Sep 27, 2009)

CBMC said:


> I also have a xikar hygrometer. I noticed mine would read accurate (tested in a boveda calibration bag) @ 70 degrees. I used another hygrometer in the bag that I know is accurate, they both would read 75 (after setting the xikar one to 75). As the temperature changed the xikar humidity would drop, at 65 degrees the xikar would read about 70 rh and at 60 degrees it would read about 67, the other hygrometer would stay around 75 rh the whole time. If the temperature raised above 70 the rh would increase also, at 75 degrees it would read about 77 rh, the other would stay almost perfectly stable at 75, I know. These were each left in the bag for several hours so I allowed plenty of time for the humidity to stablilize when performing these tests. I plan on ordering another and seeing if it does the same thing, if it does, both are going back, if not I will return the one that doesn't work. I would greatly appreciate if anyone else has similar problems with the xikar when the temperature changes.


Humm, I am wondering if the Xicar is really doing what a good RH meter should do. After all the RH does change with temp, that is why they call it Relative, it relates to the temp.


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

LastClick said:


> I'm not sure how true this is but, I read a few years ago that the salt test is only meant for analog hygrometers, not digital, because salt is corrosive to the electronic elements of a digital hygrometer and can ruin it.
> 
> I calibrate hygrometers by using a damp, not wet, washcloth to cover it and after a few hours it should read 100% if not adjust accordingly. :2


I'm not sure how much salt gets into the hygrometers unless you were dumping salt water into the hygrometer. The boiling temperature of salt is 1413°C while boiling temperature of water is 100°C.

I would think it would take a lot to get the salt into the hygrometer through vapor.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Rubix^3 said:


> This is the second salt test I have done on this Xikar hygrometer. After 12 hrs on the first try, the hygrometer read 70%, so I calibrated it to 75% and let it rest in the bag for another 12hrs. Surprisingly, it climbed to 85%! So I took out the battery and reset it before doing another salt test. This time I placed two analog hygrometers in for the sake of comparison. After 12hrs the Xikar is at 82% while the analogs are in deviation of about 2% each, one low, one high. Should I let the Xikar sit in the bag longer then try to re-calibrate it to 75%, or does it seem to be defective? I just got a new humi and I am anxious to install a hygrometer to check its seasoning progress. Thanks for your help.


I would re calibrate it to 75% put it back in the bag for 24 hrs. If its off again i would consider it defective.
I would also calibrate at the temp at which i store my cigars at.
Of course this is all relative to the temp reading on the hydrometer.:bolt:


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## Poneill272 (Oct 29, 2010)

i have 2 xikar hygrometers, about to buy a third today. let me give you some advice with these. when i got my first 2, i used a ziploc bag to salt test them. i had very similar results as yours. i did the test 3-4 times following their directions. the directions IMO suck. before you decide to return it, try my method. it worked on the first try and the hygro has been dead on ever since.

1. get a mason jar or mayo jar. (I use a mason jar.)
2. you know that little cup that comes with a bottle of cough syrup? snag that too.
3. fill the lttle cup half full with table salt.
4. add water to the salt until the salt is actually a wet slurry with a little water standing on top and stir with toothpick or the end of a pen. (i know that is too much water, but hear me out.)
5. this is why i said half full of salt, add more salt and continue stirring until there is no more standing water on the top and the salt will have the consistancy of moist sand and even a bit cakey. after you have finished stirring and you get that consistancy, leave it as it stands. dont flatten the top down or "mush" it down. just leave it.
6. lay the jar on its side so you can reach inside it and place the salt all the way to the back away from the lid, and then place the hygro so that you can just reach the calibrate button with your finger.
7. put the lid on tight like normal. dont kill it, just tighten it.
8. wait a min of 6 -8 hours. 24 is ideal, but i know its hard to wail that long.
9. after 5 hours, note the humidity reading, but dont open the jar, just peek thru the side.
10. after 6-8 hours, if the rh is still the same, unscrew the lid and immediately hit the calibrate button. dont hesitate, reach in there and hit the button as quick as you can. (if after the 6-8 hours, your rh is different than when you checked it at the 5 hour mark, note that rh and wait 2 more hours. this is how you know if the rh in the jar has stabilized. the rh will stop changing,)

this has been dead on with mine everytime. ziploc bags, IMHO, are just too pourous to do this with. the external rh and internal rh tend to mingle with each other is my guess. good luck and if you have any questions about this, feel free to pm me.

good luck bro! :bolt:


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## Poneill272 (Oct 29, 2010)

a side note. i leave my salt setup in the jar with the lid on when im not using it. it makes the next round go much faster. and its not a bad idea to put the hygro back in for another hour or 2, just to check the calibration when you are all done. it should stay between 74-76%.


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

Poneill272 said:


> 10. after 6-8 hours, if the rh is still the same, unscrew the lid and immediately hit the calibrate button. dont hesitate, reach in there and hit the button as quick as you can. (if after the 6-8 hours, your rh is different than when you checked it at the 5 hour mark, note that rh and wait 2 more hours. this is how you know if the rh in the jar has stabilized. the rh will stop changing,)


I don't like the above step. Why go through all the trouble of stabilizing the RH to 75% when you can't calibrate the hygrometer at the same setting? I don't know how responsive Xikar hygrometers are, but I would think the sensor would start reading lower RH% as soon as you take it out of the jar.

Done properly, I've never had problem with the Ziploc either.


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## Mr. Slick (Aug 17, 2010)

Tman said:


> I don't know how responsive Xikar hygrometers are, but I would think the sensor would start reading lower RH% as soon as you take it out of the jar.
> 
> Done properly, I've never had problem with the Ziploc either.


It should start reading lower as soon as you remove it from the jar. It may take a few hours for it to completely stabilize to it's new ambiant rh, but you should start to see a change within minutes. The temp reading usually changes and stabilizes faster than the rh reading.


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## Poneill272 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ok, to be more clear, I sad to hit the button before taking it out. Also I said, hit the button as soon as the lid comes off. I'm using 65% hf beads and my hygrometers both read a solid 65%. Like I said, this is how I do it and it works perfectly every time.


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